Keyless lock



Sept. 29, 1931. E. M. MILLER 1,825,467

KEYLESS LOCK Filed July 12. 1929 gjwuantoc 5/ 1. Miller Patented Sept.29, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT orricu- EDWARD M. MILLER, or KENT, onIo,Assrenon re .13. MIZLER Keynes's LOCK COM- Perry, on KENT, onto, aoonronarrou KEYLESS LOCK Application filed July 12,

This invention relates to keyless locks having a permutation mechanismfor causing unlockingof the same wherein the unlocking action setsthemechanism of the lock to be looked upon closing. of the shackle member.

This mode of'operation is highly desir able since if the lock is merelyclosed, and the owner thereof, through negligence or otherwise, shouldfail to turn the knob, any

1 unauthorized person who should happen to pull on the lock, would openthe same.

The object of my invention, therefore, is to devise a mechanism whichwill cause the locking member that engages theshackle to '15 move intolocked position incident to opening of thelock. When a lock wherein mynovel mechanism has been incorporated, is properly operated to unlockthe same, opening of the lock causes the locking member thereof to moveinto locked position, and subsequent closing of the shackle causes thesame to be locked. If it is desired'to open the look again, it will benecessary to turn the operating member in the proper directions and the2 proper distances just the same as if the operating member hadbeenmoved to lock the 7 look. i To be more specific, I employv a lockingmember which is constantly urge-d to a locked position by means of aspring. An actuating arm is moved by a cammed member into engagementwiththe locking member to move it into unlocked position against the'actionof the aforesaid spring.

a point removed from the pivotal point of the shackle with respect tothe casing of the lock. The locking member having been moved tounlocking position, it is then possi- 4O ble to move the shackle out ofthe casing to unlock the lock. Movement of the shackle about its pivotalpoint will cause a substantially lateral movement of the actuating arm,whereupon the same will move off the cam and the locking member will berestored to its locked position by the action of the spring. If theshackle is then moved back into the casing, it will be held there by thelocking member.

56 It can thus be seen that by using my novel One end of the actuatv 35ing arm is pivoted to the shackle of the look at 1929. Serial No.377,812,

mechanism, it is impossible to leave a lock of the keyless type in aclosed position without looking the same- Further and more detailedobjects and advantages of my invention will appear as the descriptionthereof proceeds. V

For a full and more complete understanding of the invention, referencemay be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure 1 is aside view of the inside of a lock made in accordancewith my invention. Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, showing theshackle released from the casing and the locking member in lockedposition, the dotted lines showing the shackle in locked position. c

Figure 3 is a detailed perspective view'of the locking member and springassociated therewith. i V Figure 4 is a detailed perspective view of theshackle and actuating arm associated therewith. V U Figure 5 is a sideviewof the other half of the casing and parts associated therewith.

While a preferred, specific embodiment of my invention is hereinshown,it is to be understood that I am not to be limited to the exactconstruction illustrated and described, because various modifications ofthe same may be employed in putting the invention into practicewithinthe purview of the appended claims. p

In the present instance my invention is shown associated with the wellknow keylesslock comprising a casing which includes the members 1 and 2.A rotatable member 3, mounted on the casing member 1 has various camsurfaces aiiixed thereto-forthe operation of the lock as :is wellunderstood. The usual springs is associated with the easing 1 andcooperates with notches 5 in the rotatable member 3. The spring 6engages the-end of a shackle"? to hold the same in its open and closedpositions.

The shackle 7 "is substantially U-shaped and is pivoted to the members 1and 2 as shown-at 8. V The other end of the shackle 7 is formed with ahook member denoted 9 An actuatingarni 10 is pivoted to the shackle 7 at11, which point is removed from the pivotal point 8. The opposite end ofthe arm 10 is formed with a projection 12 and has a pin 13 securedthereto for cooperation with the cams on the member 3.

A locking member 14 comprises a flat quadrant shaped portion havingflanges 15 and 16 on two of its sides. The locking member 14; is pivotedto the casing member 1 at 17. The flange 16 has a portion 18 upraisedtherefrom and receives one end of a spiral coil spring 19, the other endof which abuts the casing of the lock.

The lower end of the flange 15 engages the hook 9 of the shackle 7 underinfluence of the spring 19 and the proj ect-ion 12 of the arm 10 isadapted to engage the under side of flange 16 upon proper operation or"the rotatable member 3 to move the flange 15 out of engagement with thehook 9. Two spring members 20 and 21 secured to the casing member 2 at22 are adapted to bear against the arm 10 and spring 4 respectively whenthe parts are assembled.

The operation of the lock is as follows The member 3 is rotated back andforth a certain number of times and for a certain distance, according tothe manner in which the cams thereon were placed so that the cam denoted23 engages the pin 13, moving the arm 10 which causes the proj ection 12to rotate the locking member 14 in a clock-wise direction against theaction of the spring 19. This position of the parts is shown in Figure 1and the shackle may now be moved from the ca sing. IVhen the shackle ismoved from the casing it pivots about the point 8 as previously setforth, which action causes the arm 10 to move in a substantiallyhorizontal direction. This horizontal movement of the arm 10 brings thepin 13 out of engagement with the cam 23, whereupon the spring 19 whichhas been compressed, will now expand, rotating the locking member in ananti-clockwise direction, whereupon it will assume a position as shownin Figure 2. If the shackle is now moved in the position shown in dottedlines in Figure 2, hook 9 will once again be engaged by the lowerextremity of the flange 15, thereby locking the-lock.

It can thus be seen that it is impossible to close the shackle of mynovel lock without locking the same. Having once moved the shackle toits closed position, it is once again necessary to turn the rotatablemember 3 through the proper combination before the shackle can again beopened.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a lock of the class described, the combination of a casing, ashackle pivoted thereto near one of its ends, the other end beingmovable in and out of the casing, means for locking the movable end ofthe shackle in the casing, and mechanism for moving said locking meansto unlocked position, said mechanism including an arm pivoted to theshackle at a point removed from the pivotal mounting of the shackle onthe casing, said arm being operable upon movement of the shackle toallow the locking means to move to locked position.

2. In a lock of the class described, a casing, a shackle movable in andout 01'? the casing, a locking member, an actuating means therefor, acam for moving the actuating means into engagement with the lockingmember to move the same to unlocked position, and mechanism associatedwith the shackle and actuating means and operable incident to movementof the shackle for moving the actuating means away from the cam to allowthe locking member to move to locking position.

In a lock of the class described, a casing, a shackle movably mounted insaid casing, a locking member, an arm movably mounted on the shackle foractuating the locking means,

a manually operable rotary means for operating the movable arm to causerelease of the locking means, said shackle being operable to shift themovable arm upon unlocking action and to cause said locking means tosubsequently become effective to lock the shackle. when the shackle ismoved to closed position.

4. Ina lock of the class described, a casing, a shackle pivoted to saidcasing and movable to locking and unlocking position, a locking meansfor retaining the shackle in locked position, an actuating arm for thelocking means, said arm being pivoted to the shackle and shiftableincident to opening and closing movement thereof, actuating means forcausing said arm to move the locking means into unlocking position, saidactuating means being rendered ineffective to permit the locking meansto become efiective upon shifting of the arm incident to the openingmovement of the shackle.

5. In a lock of the class described, a casing, a shackle movably mountedon the casing, a locking means for the shackle, a movable arm pivoted tothe shackle and adapted to be moved thereby, a rotary member foractuating the arm to cause release of the locking means, said arm beingmovable by the shackle upon opening movement to cause the engagementthereof with the rotary member, to per mit the locking means to becomeei'l'ective to lock the shackle upon closing movement l thereof.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

EDl VARD M. MILLER.

